This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Our group''s research efforts range from total synthesis of bioactive natural products to asymmetric catalysis. In summary, we are interested both in devising effective strategies for synthesizing complex molecules and in designing simple molecules possessing desired chemical properties. One of the most fascinating aspects of biosynthetic transformations is the rapid increase in structural complexity. The ease with which living organisms convert simple building blocks into a diverse range of intricately complex natural products has always appealed to synthetic chemists. This does not mean, of course, that closely mimicking the biosynthesis of a given natural product will necessarily lead to the optimal strategy for its synthesis in vitro. Nature''s plan is best viewed not as the blueprint, but rather as a starting point for human creativity.